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People can reduce the risk of contracting heart disease or suffering a stroke by drinking protein shakes, University of Reading scientists have found.

During a study 38 participants drank two protein shakes a day, throughout an eight-week period, so researchers could see whether it had an impact on their health.

At the end of the trial, researchers found that those who had consumed 56gs of protein each day, had lower blood pressure and cholesterol as well as healthier blood vessels.

Their risk of contracting heart disease or suffering a stroke had also been reduced around 8 per cent, the study found.

Professor Ian Givens, who led the research with Professor Julie Lovegrove, said: "By giving people a high dose of whey protein, similar to the amount used by athletes, we were able to see a significant impact over an eight-week trial.

“We will now be looking to further understand the impacts of milk proteins on other markers of cardiovascular health and over a longer period of time.”

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Researchers say the findings could be good news for the 18 million adults in the UK who live with high blood pressure, which can cause cardiovascular diseases responsible for 155,000 deaths in the UK every year.

Professor Lovegrove said: “One of the important impacts of this study is that whey protein may have a role, as part of a healthy diet, to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, although further studies are required to confirm these results."

Drinking two shakes a day meant participants were consuming 214 kilocalories, which was around 10 per cent of their recommended intake.

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The study used commercially available whey protein powder mixed with water, and tested alongside a casein supplement – a different form of milk protein – and a control group using a supplement containing maltodextrin, a form of carbohydrate, in a randomized, controlled, double-blinded, three-way-crossover dietary intervention.

High-performance sportsmen and women, including bodybuilders, often take whey protein supplements as part of their training regimes to help them build muscle mass.

None of the participants experienced any significant weight gain as they were asked to exchange the protein for other foods in their diet.